


The Altean Reflecting Pool

by kdweaver



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Humor, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-20 14:26:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8252432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kdweaver/pseuds/kdweaver
Summary: Coran decides it's time for the Paladins to learn more about self-reflection and Altean culture. Things do not entirely go to his plan.





	

Coran had gathered everyone on one of the lower levels of the Castle. As the pilots of the Lions, it was critical for the Paladins to understand the consequences of their actions - and, sometimes, to live with them as well. To move towards that aim, Coran had decided to show the Paladins the Altean reflecting chamber. It sat in the innermost, quietest level on the ship, away from the rush of the engines and the emptiness of space. It sat at the Castle's center.

"Now, Paladins," Coran opened, bridging his fingers as he talked, "I know you all have lots of very exciting things to be running around and doing-"

Lance waggled his eyebrows while looking at Keith, who turned away, scowling. Behind them, Hunk and Pidge rolled their eyes at each other. Shiro looked straight ahead at Coran, focusing on him intently.

Coran continued on, confused. "-but sometimes, especially when you're stressed, it's good to take a moment to stop, and to think."

Turning around, Coran pressed his hand to the doorway, which chirped and opened, releasing a gust of cool air.

"This, Paladins," Coran announced, stepping into the fresh, moist air of the large, softly-lit room beyond, "is the reflecting pool of our Altean goddess-"

"THERE'S A POOL?" Lance interrupted, loudly, his attention suddenly directed solely on Coran. "This castle has a POOL, and you never told us?!"

Lance ran through the doorway, and into the chamber, past Coran, and to the edge of the pool. At its near edge, it looked to be just a few feet deep, but towards the far end, where it met the curving edge of the chamber, it looked much deeper. Lance hopped from foot to foot at the edge of the water for a few seconds, before he began to take his shoes and shirt off.

"L-Lance!" Coran interjected, waving his hands, "that's really not what-"

"Holy hamburgers," Hunk butted in, looking around the room. "This is _awesome_. Coran, is it all right if we-"

Hunk trailed off, pointing with his thumb towards the pool, where Lance was wading in in his underwear.

"I - oof - you - um," Coran stammered, as his eyes darted from Lance in the pool, back to Hunk, to the others, who had moved inside the room.

"Yes, Hunk, it's quite alright," a voice from the doorway stated calmly.

"Oh. Awesome! Thanks, Princess," Hunk responded, and began walking towards the pool. Pidge and Keith followed him to the pool's edge, smiling and laughing as they watched Lance swim around on his back, fountaining water from his mouth.

Coran sidled up next to the Princess, a tense look scrawled across his face.

"Princess - the goddess's pool - are you really quite sure we should -" he champed out.

Allura put her hand on Coran's shoulder, as they watched the Paladins wade into the water in their underclothes. Shiro stood by the edge of the pool in his armor, looking out over the scene.

"Coran," she began quietly, a soft, sad smile on her face, "our gods died alongside our planet, ten thousand years ago."

She felt the tension and anxiety start to drain from Coran as he processed her statement.

"I suppose you're right, Princess. It's little more than a bucket of water, now."

"No, Coran. It's still much more than that. It's just become important in a different way."

They watched the Paladins play in the water for a moment - they were jousting at one another in the shallow end, Pidge riding on Hunk's shoulders, and Keith on Lance's. They grappled for a moment, before Lance and Keith went toppling over, into the water. Pidge and Hunk cheered in victory.

After glancing over his shoulder, Shiro turned, and walked back towards Coran and the Princess.

"Coran, Princess - thank you," he said sincerely. "I know this isn't what you intended, but... they need this. I think I do, too," he admitted, sheepishly.

"Come on, Shiro," Allura replied, "let's try the water. Coran?"

Coran swallowed, staring at the sparkling waters.

"I - no thank you, Princess. I'll stay here, and keep watch. Water is very dangerous, you know! One can never tell what will happen with the stuff."

Shiro took off his armor, and waded into the water, joining the rest of the Paladins. Allura left, and returned, wearing a waterproof garment, before gracefully entering the waves, her hair tied up above her head. Coran moved, and sat before the edge of the pool, near his normal position, which was currently occupied by folded clothes.

The Paladins frolicked in the water. That was the only word for it, Coran decided - frolic. All the Paladins glanced at the horrible scars across Shiro's chest and back, yet kept smiling, as they chased one another through the waves, and down into the pool's depths. _Who knew that humans were such aquatic creatures?_ Coran wondered. Suddenly, he realized that he'd never even seen a picture of the world which they came from. Perhaps it was a very watery world, he decided, unlike the dry rocks and deep, volcanic plains which covered much of Altea.

Lance's head broke through the water's surface, and he suddenly saw Coran, sitting at the edge of the pool. Spontaneously, he waved at him. After a tick, Coran waved back, and Lance swam on.

 _Are the gods really dead, if there's one person left to remember them?_ Coran asked himself. _You were never the sort to be very good at answering those questions_ , he thought back.

Slowly, he reached down, and undid his boots. Moving to the edge of the pool, he hesitated for one more moment, before dipping a toe in the water. It felt just like he'd always imagined it: cool and refreshing, heavy and soft.


End file.
